The Lubbock Criminal District Attorney Sunshine Stanek said her office is looking into why the county is paying two people for the same elected office.
However, Stanek declined to further comment on the pending investigation.
Meanwhile, an agenda item for the county commissioners court's Sept. 21 session is proposing a resolution supporting Stanek's request to have Texas Rangers investigate the matter.
"Whereas, questions and concerns have arisen regarding apparent payroll irregularities involving Lubbock County government during the past year, including matters associated with the appointment of Mark Meurer as a Lubbock County Commissioner," the proposed resolution states.
The Lubbock County Commissioner for Precinct 2 makes about $90,000 a year.
The agenda item was put forward by Jason Corley, the elected commissioner for the precinct at the center of a payroll controversy.
However, the resolution is only supporting an independent fact-finding investigation.
"Nothing in this resolution shall be construed as a finding by the Commissioners Court that any individual has committed a criminal offense, violated any law, or engaged in misconduct," the resolution states.
Corley was temporarily removed from the office on Dec. 8 after County Judge Curtis Parrish determined that Corley had triggered an automatic resignation clause when he sent communications Parrish believed indirectly announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives District 19 seat.
Parrish appointed Mark Meurer to serve the remainder of Corley's term, which ends in December.
However, Corley, who officially announced his candidacy on Dec. 2, filed a lawsuit challenging his expulsion, saying he announced his candidacy outside of the year-and-30-day window required by the Texas Constitution to automatically resign him.
Senior Judge Patrick Pirtle issued an order reinstating Corley after a Dec. 19 temporary injunction hearing.
Meurer filed an appeal with the Seventh Court of Appeals of Texas and oral arguments are set for Oct. 13.
However, while the appeal was pending, commissioners learned that Meurer was still receiving a paycheck for his appointment as the precinct 2 commissioner.
Neither Parrish nor Corley returned messages seeking comment.
Gabriel Monte is the criminal justice reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in Texas. Have a news tip for him? Email him at gmonte@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Commissioner payroll controversy prompts Texas Ranger investigation request
